In past years, the students of Berkeley Technology Academy, also known as B-Tech, were considered by some to be beyond help. The school had a history of academic struggle, with less than 12 percent of the senior class graduating in 2011.
Sheila Quintana was working as a school principal in Vallejo in 2011 when she was recruited to be an administrator at one of Berkeley’s schools. She was given the choice of either an elementary school, a middle school or B-Tech. She chose B-Tech.
“I was excited to work there — I chose B-Tech because I wanted to continue helping students who weren’t being served well by (traditional schools),” Quintana said. “I saw a lot of opportunity.”
B-Tech, founded in 2006, is an alternative school for high school students, most of whom lack the class credits needed to graduate.
Two years ago, only seven B-Tech students out of a class of 60 graduated. However, under Quintana, who became the principal in July 2011, 62 out of 73 students graduated this year, marking a dramatic change in the direction of the school.
When Quintana first came to B-Tech, the school was in dire need of supplies.
“There were no textbooks, workbooks or teacher materials,” Quintana said. “There were old sheets on the windows instead of blinds. It sent the message that this wasn’t a real school.”
Of 151 students, about 90 percent are transfer students from Berkeley High School, and 10 percent are referred by the penal system. Most students are low-income minorities, and many deal with problems such as murder or incarceration of relatives, poverty and homelessness.
Under Quintana’s leadership, the school’s curriculum now satisfies the University of California’s A-G requirements, which are classes necessary to be admitted to any state university. The average SAT and California High School Exit Exam scores of the students have increased as well.
Recent B-Tech graduate Jude Tamyo said Quintana and the teachers press students to stay on track.
“They care more here, Tamyo said. “They don’t let you slack off and fail. There’s a feeling of community.”
After Quintana took office, she focused on addressing the personal problems that kept students from attending school and intervened by hiring guidance counselors. According to Sherene Randle, a teacher at B-Tech, counselor Debra Clark helps students through personal issues. Clark also regularly checks in with students to ensure they have the class credits necessary to graduate.
In addition to counseling, Quintana has implemented new teaching methods and has reassigned teachers to areas that better suit them. Berkeley Unified School District also assigned additional teachers to B-Tech who specialize in at-risk youth and are trained in conflict resolution, according to school board director, Karen Hemphill.
Quintana, the eighth child in a family of 11, grew up tutoring her older siblings at home and felt that teaching came naturally to her. As a teacher for more than 20 years, she concentrates foremost on instruction at B-Tech.
On a typical day, Quintana visits several classrooms to observe students, teachers and the interactions between them. She makes herself available to students and frequently meets with them between classes. Above all, she makes sure instruction is the top priority and directs as much funding as she can into the classroom.
Another problem Quintana recognized when she arrived was that students did not fully understand the class credits system, which led to credit deficiencies and low graduation rates. Quintana instituted the B-Tech Individualized Progress Plan, a program that allows students to review the credits they need to graduate, their class schedules and their CAHSEE scores. Students review their BIPP each term with their families.
“The information empowers the students,” Quintana said.
Hemphill said although the school has received little new funding, the school district has given B-Tech more flexibility with its current funding. Later in 2013, the school district will be working with B-Tech to design a new science lab, purchase a new computer lab and make structural repairs to the buildings.
According to Quintana, B-Tech has long been regarded a place where failed students go and never leave, and students have been thought of as “throwaway kids.”
“Watching students go from hopeless to hopeful is transforming,” Quintana said. “It’s rewarding to see them succeed.”
Contact Madeleine Pauker at [email protected]